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THE LANCET

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190 the mercury now in its metallic state; in fact, it is the same as commencing anew the process. In the act of our rubbing the me- tal with the moist chalk, we decompose the water; its oxygen combines with the mer- cury and forms the protoxide, whilst the hydrogen is in part evolved and partly mixed with the powder ; another portion of the mercury (but a very minute one) is con- verted into the state of protoxide also by the atmosphere. In the different experiments which I have made 1 have clearly (I think) proved, that the mercury does not become oxidised until the last stage of the process, for i: it were, the muriate acid would have dissolved any portion of the oxide if formed; whereas in the three first stages it had no effect, be- cause it does not act on ruRE metallic mer- cury. In some experiments recently publish- ed by Mr. Donovan, in a talented periodical of his, entitled Annals of Pharmacy-(now I regret to say, discontinued, for its short ex- istence has in some measure served to be- nefit his profession, by publicly exposing abuses which were for a lapse of time con- cealed within the walls of a certain establish- ment, the proprietors of which would al- ways wish to keep their professional bre- thren in a state of thraldom and subjection to their despotic and illegal rules)-he men- tions that this preparation is nothing more than the metal, very minutely divided, and that in that state it is a very active prepa ration. With this gentleman I must beg leave to diffa, for 1 cannot conceive why some portion of a large quantity could not be as well oxidated when taken into the stomach, as a small portion given in that way, for the metal is frequently given in large quantities in obstinate constipation. Messrs Murray, Thompson, and others, affirm that the metal is partly oxidised whilst un- dergoing trituration in the commencement of the process with the viscid substance ; that theory I have clearly shown to be erroneous by my experiments. You will never find, in any apothecary’s shop, hydr. cum creta prepared strictly according to the P. Dub- linensis ; for to attempt to accomplish it would be both impossible, and very expen- sive. Consider what an immense quantity of manna is ordered to be used. The best method of preparing it is, by moistening 3i of prepared chalk, then adding the same quantity of mercury, and then triturating even until the globules disappear. I remain, Sir, Your obedient servant, T. HUDSON. 12, D’Olier Street, Dublin, Oct. 21, 1831. T. HUDSON. THE LANCET. London, Saturday, November 5, 1831. HOW STANDS THE PROSECUTION OF " IN what stage stands that infamous pro. secution instituted by the Council against those public- spirited members of the College who, in February last, so nobly fought the battle of the naval surgeons " " As this question reaches us by every day’s post from some distant part of the country, and as the Michaelmas Term has once more commenced, we think it right not only to give the sole reply which can be offered to the question, but at the same time to offer a few general remarks upon one portion of the subsequent conduct of the JUNTO. Extraordinary, then, as it may appear, the prosecution, with regard to the Editor of this Journal, stands precisely where it did when the Court made the rule absolute for the filing of a. " criminal information." So far as the defendant has any knowledge of the proceedings, nothing further in pro- secution of the suit has been done up to the present hour by the worthy " criminal pro- secutors." The criminal information has not been filed-at least the Editor has never received any direct or indirect, official or non-official notice, that any such step has been taken. After what we stated on a former occasion-after our comments on the JUNTO during the past summer, and leaving out of the question the uncompro- mising consistency of character which this Journal has ever pursued, it is almost un- necessary to observe that the Editor has neither disgraced himself nor the pure cause which brought upon him the vindic- tive hostility of the JUNTO, by holding any communication whatever with that body. He has not disgraced himself by addressing to them whining conciliatory letters. As he committed no legal offence in the College, he has offered no apology for his conduct. Now it cannot possibly have escaped the
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Page 1: THE LANCET

190

the mercury now in its metallic state; infact, it is the same as commencing anew theprocess. In the act of our rubbing the me-tal with the moist chalk, we decompose thewater; its oxygen combines with the mer-cury and forms the protoxide, whilst thehydrogen is in part evolved and partly mixedwith the powder ; another portion of themercury (but a very minute one) is con-

verted into the state of protoxide also by theatmosphere.

In the different experiments which I havemade 1 have clearly (I think) proved, thatthe mercury does not become oxidised untilthe last stage of the process, for i: it were,the muriate acid would have dissolved anyportion of the oxide if formed; whereas inthe three first stages it had no effect, be-cause it does not act on ruRE metallic mer-

cury. In some experiments recently publish-ed by Mr. Donovan, in a talented periodicalof his, entitled Annals of Pharmacy-(now Iregret to say, discontinued, for its short ex-istence has in some measure served to be-nefit his profession, by publicly exposingabuses which were for a lapse of time con-cealed within the walls of a certain establish-ment, the proprietors of which would al-ways wish to keep their professional bre-thren in a state of thraldom and subjectionto their despotic and illegal rules)-he men-tions that this preparation is nothing morethan the metal, very minutely divided, andthat in that state it is a very active preparation. With this gentleman I must begleave to diffa, for 1 cannot conceive whysome portion of a large quantity could notbe as well oxidated when taken into thestomach, as a small portion given in thatway, for the metal is frequently given inlarge quantities in obstinate constipation.Messrs Murray, Thompson, and others, affirmthat the metal is partly oxidised whilst un-dergoing trituration in the commencementof the process with the viscid substance ; thattheory I have clearly shown to be erroneousby my experiments. You will never find,in any apothecary’s shop, hydr. cum cretaprepared strictly according to the P. Dub-linensis ; for to attempt to accomplish itwould be both impossible, and very expen-sive. Consider what an immense quantityof manna is ordered to be used. The bestmethod of preparing it is, by moistening 3iof prepared chalk, then adding the samequantity of mercury, and then trituratingeven until the globules disappear.

I remain, Sir, Your obedient servant,T. HUDSON.

12, D’Olier Street, Dublin, Oct. 21, 1831.T. HUDSON.

THE LANCET.

London, Saturday, November 5, 1831.

HOW STANDS THE PROSECUTION OF

" IN what stage stands that infamous pro.secution instituted by the Council againstthose public- spirited members of the Collegewho, in February last, so nobly fought thebattle of the naval surgeons "

"

As this question reaches us by everyday’s post from some distant part of the

country, and as the Michaelmas Term hasonce more commenced, we think it rightnot only to give the sole reply which canbe offered to the question, but at the same

time to offer a few general remarks upon oneportion of the subsequent conduct of theJUNTO.

Extraordinary, then, as it may appear,the prosecution, with regard to the Editorof this Journal, stands precisely where itdid when the Court made the rule absolute

for the filing of a. " criminal information."

So far as the defendant has any knowledgeof the proceedings, nothing further in pro-secution of the suit has been done up to the

present hour by the worthy " criminal pro-secutors." The criminal information has

not been filed-at least the Editor has never

received any direct or indirect, official or

non-official notice, that any such step has

been taken. After what we stated on

a former occasion-after our comments on

the JUNTO during the past summer, and

leaving out of the question the uncompro-mising consistency of character which thisJournal has ever pursued, it is almost un-

necessary to observe that the Editor has

neither disgraced himself nor the purecause which brought upon him the vindic-tive hostility of the JUNTO, by holding anycommunication whatever with that body.He has not disgraced himself by addressingto them whining conciliatory letters. As hecommitted no legal offence in the College,he has offered no apology for his conduct.Now it cannot possibly have escaped the

Page 2: THE LANCET

191THE EDITOR BY THE COLLEGE COUNCIL?

recollection of the public, or of the pro-

fessional readers of this Journal, that when

the application was made to the court of

King’s Bench for a rule nisi, and, subse-

quently, when arguments were heard in sup-port of that rule, that the most high-sound-ing language was vociferated in advocatingthe cause of the prosecutors, by Sir THOMASDENMAN-a man of whom one cannot now

speak without feelings of pity-seeing howhe has fallen in public estimation by histyrannical prosecutions instituted againstthe press. Yes; the once highly-esteemedSir THOMAS DENMAN, but now the flagel-lated victim of the talents of Mr. COBBETT,instead of receiving, as heretofore, tes-

timonies of public approbation, proceedwhere he may, hears nothing but the hissesand execrations of the populace. A woeful

change for poor Sir THOMAS ; but not an

undeserved one; nor do we greatly regrethis fall, since the influence of a heavy feewas powerful enough to drive the learned

gentleman out of his course, and degradehim into the author of an extra-professionaldeclaration against the defendants, when

he was replying to the arguments for set-

ting aside the rule nisi. Sir THOMAS vaunt-

ingly declared, that before the terminationof the proceedings, " he should prove thatMr. WAKLEY was a rioter, a libeller, and a

conspirator ;" but, happily for us, the publicwill not acknowledge that such " proofexists, if it be unaccompanied by the au-thoritative stamp of the verdict of a British

jury-a confirmation far enough beyond thereach of the learned Sir THOMAS and his

sagacious employers.In the course of his argument, this over.

zealous advocate affected to ridicule that

portion of our affidavit which went to show,that as there existed no by-law to preventspeaking in the theatre, and as discussionshad been held there before February, thepractice to make it illegal required, in anycase, the preliminary interposition of a

regularly authenticated by-law of the Coun-

cil-this, we say, the cunning Sir THOMASridiculed as a most preposterous assump-tion, and very wittily remarked that it might

as well be said that a by-law was necessaryto prevent cock-fighting or bull-baiting inthe theatre. Not quite so fast, however,Sir THOMAS ! You are not the first At-

torney-General whom we have proved tobe somewhat deficient in a knowledge of

law upon the subject of medical chartersand corporate rights. Of course our affi-

davit would have availed nothing, if it had

contained, in opposition to such opinions, therecorded decisions of aMaasFIELD, a BLACK-

STONE, an ELLENBOROUGH, or an ELDON,-the " rule," we dare swear, would have beenmade absolute ; or, had counsel pleaded ourcause with greater ability (which, by theway, was scarcely possible) than it was

pleaded by our counsel, Mr. CAMPBELL

and Mr. KELLY, the decision would have

been the same, since Lord TENTERDEN, in

an early part of the proceedings, threw outthe extra-judicial opinion, that it was notlegal to discuss any subject in the Theatre,not connected with the acknowledged dutiesof the corporation.

Lord TENTERDEN did not consider that

the College had any concern with the rightsof naval surgeons,-that the members, asa body, had no right to discuss the griev-ances of such a branch of the profession inthe theatre of the College; and it was per-fectly in keeping with the whole conduct ofthe Council that that body should entertainprecisely similar views. The legality, how-ever, of that question is still undetermined,

aye, even of that question; and, as great num-bers of the naval surgeons are members of thecorporation, we contend, in the very front ofthe fiat of the Lord Chief Justice, that theattack upon the privileges of that branch

of the members was a legitimate subject ofdiscussion for the other branches in the

theatre of their own institution. When

Lord TENTERDEN thought it consistent withhis duty to pronounce this extraordinary

Page 3: THE LANCET

192 NEW BY-LAWS OF THE COUNCIL

opinion, we hesitated not a -moment to

announce to the Court, through our Counsel,that no subject, avowedly Mnconnected withthe business of the corporation, should be

again discussed by us in the theatre. But

the learned Sir TnoMAS DENMAN laughedat this assurance, protested that the wholeof our proceedings were illegal, that we

had been guilty of a 11 conspiracy," and

twenty otner sins, and that our offences

would not have been more illegal if therehad existed prohibitory by-laws;- that,in fact, by-laws were just as neces-

sary to prevent discussions in the theatre,as to exclude " cock-fighting and bull-

baiting," and not more so. Now, will it be

believed-can human creduli ty go so far as tobelieve-that this self-same JUNTO-this

identical, " criminal-prosecuting" J UN TO-this ruffian-employing JUNTO, have appliedto the judges for the approval of by-laws,to empower them to commit a portion ofthose outrages which they committed uponthe members in March last, without the

sanction of any by-laws at all ? *! When Icalled upon to believe such a statement as

this, the mind literally shrinks from the

weight of the obligation. Mark the line

of conduct pursued by these audacious

despots ! But, first of all, let us insert thenew enactments, word for word, point forpoint, as we find them, printed upon a

nice little quarter sheet of hot-pressedvellum paper.

" BY-LAWS OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OF

SURGEONS IN LONDON.

" No business whatever shall be trans-acted nor any matter be discussed or debatedat any meeting or assemblage convened byor under the authority of the Piesident orCouncil, or before or after the businessthereof shall have commenced, other thanthe particular business or matter in respectof which such meeting’ or assemblage shallhave been convened ; nor shall any debate I

or discussion whatsoever be had or allowedat any meeting convened by the Presidentor Council for the delivery of Lectures orOrations either before or after the same I

sha.11 have commenced or terminated. And

no Meeting or assemblage of Members ofthe College shall be held in the Hall or

Council House of the College, or in any ofits appurtenances, unless convened by orunder the authority of the President or

Council and no Member of the Collegeshall advertise or convene or attend or (Om.

bine with others to advertise or convene orattend any meeting or assemblage in theHall or Council House of the College, or inany of its appurtenances, not authorized bythe President or Council. And any Mem-ber of the College who may in any manneroffend herein shall be liable to be restrainedand excluded by the Council from attend-ing any Orations and Lectures at the Thea-tre, aud from any use of or admission to the

Library and Museum, and to be suspendedfrom any or all other privileges which hemay have as a Member of the College, forany such period as the Council may ad-judge, or to removal by the Council frombeing a member of the College. And everyMember of the College who shall thereuponbe removed as aforesaid shall forfeit all his

rights and privileges as a Member thereof." All meetings convened by or under the

authority of the President or Council of theCollege, as well for general business as for

the delivery of Orations or Lectures, or forthe distribution of Prizes, shall be underthe control and direction of the President orother Member of the Council presiding’ atsuch Meeting’. And any Member of the

College who shall interrupt, impede or in-terfere with the proceedings at any such

Meeting, or shall propose any matter for

discussion or debate without the leave ofthe President or other Person so presiding,shall, upon being required by the Presidentor other Person so presiding, immediatelvwithdraw from such meeting ; and shall bemoreover liable to be restrained and ex-cluded by the Council from attending anyOrations and Lectures at the Theatre andfrom any use of or admission to the Libraryand Museum, and to be suspended from anyor all other privileges which he may haveas a Member of the College, for any such

period as the Council may adjudge. And

any Member of the College who shall soofrend a second time, or during any suspeii-sion by the Council shall attempt to exercise

Page 4: THE LANCET

193AGAINST THE. MEMBERS OF THE COLLEGE.

any of the privileges from which lie shallbe suspended, shall be liable to removal,bv tbe Council from being a Member of theCollege. And every Member of the Col-

lege who shall thereupon be removed asaforesaid, shall forfeit all his rights and

privileges as a member thereof." Made and ordained By-laws

" Of the Royal College of Surgeons inLondon by and at a Meeting of the Councilof the said Royal College, holden, at the

College, on the 27th day of April, 1831." We have examined and do approve of

and allow these By-laws :-BROUGHAM, C.TENTERDEN,N. C. TINDAL.

21st day of May, 1831."When one reflects at whose solicitation

these by-laws were obtained, surely no cir-cumstance that ever occurred was more

truly laughable. Not that there are no

feelings of pity arising out of one’s mirth,for the law-lacking head of poor Sir Tno-M.4S DENMAN, or for the stupid members ofthe JuNTO, whose tortures must have been

extreme before they could have been re-

duced to make such a distinct, unqualifiedconfession of their own guilt. No by-lawsnecessary to prevent discussions in the

theatre ! Eh, Sir THOMAS DENMAN ? Reallywe must open a new office-a lanv-institu-

tion, that is, in the highest department ofthe law, and instruct, ex cathedra, attorney-generals and the other law officers of thecrown, upon all those questions which re-late to the rights, privileges, and immuni-ties of the members of medical corporationsFuture attorney-generals will do well not totalk quite so boldly about "rioters, libellers,and conspirators." But let us for one mo-

ment examine the train of circumstances

which led to or accompanied the " criminalprosecution."

Before February last members of the Col-

lege had addressed the Council in the thea-tre of that institution. On the 14th of that

month, a protracted discussion was held inthat place between the President, Council,

and Members, to which discussion no ob-

jection was offered by the Council, and theright of the members to speak there was not

disputed. On the 8th of March another

conversation was held between the same

parties, in the same place, when the Coun-cil finding that they were beaten in argument,hired a set of ruffians to beat the heads of

their opponents, and to force them from

their seats, and even from the occupation ofthe College itself, with a degree of violencewhich placed their lives in danger. On the

27th of April-as stated by the Councilthemselves in the paragraph just quoted,headed " made and ordained,"-they irarnedthe above by-laws. On the 21st of May,the JUNTO applied to the judges to " ap-prove and allow of

" those by-laws, and onTuesday, the 24th of May, only three daysafterwards, came on, in the Court of King’sBench, the postponed argument for the dis-

charge of the rule nisi. Do the annals of

turpitude present a parallel to this case *!One’s indignation ought to be strongenough to scare such monsters from the

bosom of all civilised society. If they werenot conscious, if they were not as certain asthat light is derived from the sun, that theyhad acted illegally on the 8th of March in

ejecting and assaulting the members, whydid they, on the 27’th of April, agree to pe-tition the judges for by-laws which mightempower them to prohibit the holding ofdiscussions in the theatre before and after

delivery of lectures and orations ? Prayanswer these questions Sir THOMAS DpN-MAN. If the Council did not act illegallyon the 8th of March, whence the necessityof these new by-laws? and if the Council didact illegally on the 8th of March (and thatthey believed they did so act is proved bytheir application to the judges), in whatterms ought their conduct to be charac-

terised, for having instituted prosecutionsagainst men whom they knew to have beenthe aggrieved parties? Each horn of this

dilemma is thrust deeply into the sides of

Page 5: THE LANCET

194 THE EXCUSE FOR THE BY-LAWS.

the JUNTO, and it rests not with the inge-nuity or the passion of Sir THOMAS DES-MAN, to ease them of their tortures, or to

render them less odious in the eves of the

whole profession.Now let us attend again for one moment

to dates. On the 27th of April, the JUNTOacknowledge that they had acted illegally,for no rational man can look upon these by-laws in any other light than as containinga broad confession of their guilt; yet, onthat very day-at that self-same meeting,was it determined to apply to the Court ofKing’s Bench for a " criminal information"against the assaulted, ill-used members,

when, at the same time, it was also deter-

mined that the motion, if successful, shouldnot be acted upon, but that the " criminal

information" should be held in terrorem

over the heads of those members of the

College who felt disposed to claim their

rights. On the second of May, Sir JAMESSCARLETT received his instructions, and onthe third moved the Court and obtained

the rule nisi, the defendants at the same time

having been required to show cause againstthe rule on the following Saturday. The

numerous aindavits, which the accused par-ties had to adduce, requiring more time, therule was enlarged until the next term, andcame on for argument on Tuesday, May24th. Now, mark, reader ! Pray attend tothis. The very judge-that is, Lord TEN-TERDEN-who on that day decided that acriminal information should be filed againsttwo of the defendants, had, only three dayspreviously, as it now appears from the abovedocument, attached his signature to by-laws which were to subject members to ex-

pulsion, if they disobeyed the President

and Council in persisting to hold discus-

sions before or after the delivery of lecturesor orations. The decency of this trans-

action ! It was not enough that the causeshould be solemnly argued in open court,but the Judge, upon the proposal for thesenew by-laws, was called upon to auticipate

his judgment by an act performed three dayspreviously. Moreover, it is not possible to

say what were the charges advanced againstcertain members of the College, when the

judges were asked to attach their signaturesto the clauses above quoted. Doubtless

the foulest ex-parte statements were throwa

out against the defendants, and it was al-

leged probably that there had been the

most dangerous riots, and that it would be

impossible to go on with the business of theCollege, if such penal statutes were not

" approved and allowed " by the great lawofficers.

Hitherto we have offered no remarks on

the character of the by-laws, nor uponthe conduct of those judges who expressedtheir approbation of them; we have re-stricted our notice to the conduct of the

Council, or, rather, as we have alreadyremarked, to that train of circumstances

which preceded and accompanied the pro-secution. On another occasion, we shallenter upon some inquiry respecting theconstruction of these enactments, which, wehesitate not to say, are indebted for their

origin to as foul a spirit of despotism aswas ever vomited forth by any sink of cor.

porate iniquity.If the Council of the College can resort

to such measures as these, if they cansubmit to such voluntary degradation, inorder to maintain their seats, and pocketsome paltry hundreds a year, they are menwho are as insensible to the blush of shame

as they are to the voice of reason ; exampleand argument are alike lost upon them.

Corrupt as are the city corporations, webelieve there are not to be found in this

metropolis, or in any other city of the

kingdom, a body of men, who, knowingtheir guilt, would have attempted to fix

that guilt upon the heads of others, whomthey knew to be innocent not only of

the commission of crime, but of any inten-

tion to give the slightest offence to any in-dividual member of the Council.

Page 6: THE LANCET

195LONDON COLLEGE OF MEDICINE.

In entreating the members of the pro- Ifession to investigate this subject with the lemost scrupulous care, and in beseechingthem to look particularly to dates, we em-brace this opportunity of thanking the

Council for having, at last, made a volun-

tary confession of that guiltiness of con-

duct, which, although it was long sincewell known to a few, could never, withoutthe aid of such powerful and unexpectedassistance, have been extensively known tothe many. In petitioning for the by-laws,framed on the 27th of April, and sanction-ed by the judges on the 21st of May, theCouncil have made a confession of their

own guilt, and proclaimed their own verdictof not guilty in favour of the defendantsunder their " criminal prosecution ! "

LONDON COLLEGE OF MEDICINE.

IN again stating, for the information of

our numerous correspondents, that all legal-ly-qualified practitioners are considered eli-gible candidates for the diploma of the

LOND0’.eT COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, we take

this opportunity of announcing that no in-stitution can be proceeding more prosper-ously, in proof whereof we submit the fol-lowing letters, a few, only, from a very largenumber received, from respectable practi-tioners in Liverpool, Paisley, and New-castle. Their perusal will be gratifying tothe stanch supporters of medical reform.

"To the Secretary of the LONDON COLLEGEOF MEDICINE." Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

" SIR,-I beg to acquaint you that I haveforwarded the certificates of my fnendsMessrs. Hedley and Clark, and myself, which!beg you w1l11ay before the Committee of theLONDON COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, at an earlymeeting, for their examination, as we wishto become members of that institution.After the Committee has approved them Ihave to request the favour of your returningthem by coach, addressed to myself, and

upon their receipt, with your aclmowledg-

ment of our having been admitted as mem-bers, the fees will be forwarded bv me.

° I am, Sir, yours respectfully," WILLIAM DAwsoN.

° The individual addresses are asfollows,-° Mr. William Hedley, Church Row,

South Shields." Mr, George Noble dark, Newgate

Street, Newcastle." William Dawson, Side, Newcastle.

" To THOMAS WAKLEY, Esq., London.

"Paisley." SIR,-We, the undersigned practition-

ers, Licentiates of the Faculty of Physiciansand Surgeons in Glasgow, beg to be placedon the roll as candidates for the diploma ofthe LONDON COLLEGE OF MEDICINE. Ourcredentials shall be forwarded at the propertime. We are, Sir,

" Your most obedient servants," DAVID MACPHERSON, Surg." WiLMAM Mum, Surg." DANIEL MUNN, L.R.C.S.E.

" To the Secretary of the LONDON COLLEGEOF MEDICINE.

" Liverpool." SIR,-We, the undersigned members of

the Royal College of Surgeons, London, andLicentiates of the Hall, practitioners inLiverpool, highly approve of the principlesof the LONDON COLLEGE OF :lVIEDICINE, andare desirous of having our names inscribedas candidates for the fellowship of the Col-lege, and also as subscribers to the Eleemo-synary Fund." ZACHARIAS BARNES VAUGIIAN

" WILLIAM GREER" ROBERT STUART" JAMES DiXON" DONALD BLACK, M.R.C.S.E.

" N.B.-We shall feel obliged by theearliest information from the Secretary, rela-tive to the fees and credentials, addressedto Z. B. Vaughan, Old Haymarket, Liver-pool."

DR. ELLIOTSON’S CLINICAL LECTURES.

To the Editor of THE LANCET.Sir,-Your attention will this week pro-

bably be called to a letter which Las beenaddressed to you in the November numberof a medical periodical, by Dr. Ryan, re-lative to your review of the work of that

very industrious, but, I fear, very ignorantgentleman, on " Medical Jurisprudence."At the close of ODe of the loose and ex-

tremely illiterate articles which the numbercontains, is a paragraph in which 1 ammost unjustly charged with having, through


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